Los Alamos High Olions' Mean Girls Delights Community with Humor and Heart

The Los Alamos High School Olions are performing Mean Girls - the high school edition - at Duane Smith Auditorium, 1300 Diamond Drive, with a run through March 1 and regular showtimes Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. An understudy performance is scheduled for Friday, February 27; tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and are available at the door and online.

Megan Pimentel directs the production with musical direction by Louisa Singleton. The musical credits list the book by Tina Fey, lyrics by Nell Benjamin and music by Jeff Richmond, and the piece is based on the Paramount Pictures film of the same name. The Olions' staging in Duane Smith Auditorium follows the company's stated emphasis on student development and high production standards.

Casting information published for the run identifies the Plastics and key student players: Gretchen Wieners is played by Anya Seet with understudy Annaelle Deburgomaster, and Karen Smith is played by Kaitlyn Seitz-Pruitt with understudy Bryanna Lierly. Janis is played by Izzy Gletsos with understudy Iris Butcher, and Damian is played by Gyasi Attafyn. The scheduled understudy performance on February 27 gives Annaelle Deburgomaster, Bryanna Lierly and Iris Butcher an onstage opportunity in those roles.

A review by Kelly Dolejsi in the Los Alamos Reporter highlights the production's cross-generational appeal, noting that "the show is tons of fun, with a script full of zingers that teens and adults will appreciate." Dolejsi cited specific lines that land with the audience - "I’m filled with calculust!" and "Sometimes alone is good because time to think is in short supply" - and used promotional teases such as "Will she braid your hair? Will she eat your heart?" to capture the production's cheeky tone. The review also notes that, under Pimentel and Singleton, the Olions "have assembled a strong supporting cast."

The Olions trace their name to 1954, when students chose OLIONS from the theatrical term "olio," defined as "a collection or hodge-podge of any kind of art, drama, or skit." The group's mission material emphasizes educational goals: "The Olions’ primary goal is to enhance the educational experience of the members by an involvement in the theater arts…" and asserts that "The Olions strive to maintain the highest standards and in no way seek to apologize for their efforts with the pejorative stigma of the term, 'a high school show.'"

Promotional material accompanying the run includes social media notices directing patrons to the OnTheStage ticketing page and an Instagram post credited to Los Alamos High School Olions. Final weekend performances conclude March 1, offering audiences at Duane Smith Auditorium the remaining chances to see this student-led production that blends comedic zingers with a focus on theatrical education and local talent.